Stage 2 Flashcards
METAR (Aviation Routine Weather Report)
Reports current surface condition
Updated every hour between 45 minutes past the hour and the hour.
SD (radar weather report)
Shows general areas of precipitation especially thunderstorms Observed onon the routine basis Issued 35 minutes past each hour Intervening special reports as required Reported in hundreds of feet MSL
PIREPS (pilot reports)
UA- Upper Air
UUA- Urgent Upper Air
PIREPS are real time weather reporting information Anytime you encounter unforecasted weather you are encouraged to make a PIREP File PIREP with flight watch on 122.0 If icing is reported in a PIREP it is considered known icing condition When filing a PIREP include the following Mandatory items Type of report (UA or UUA) OV Location to NAVAID TM Zulu time FL flight level or altitude TP aircraft type Non mandatory (only if existence) SK Sky cover WX visibility and Weather TA temperature WV winds in magnetic north TB turbulence IC icing RM remarks
TAF (Terminal Aerodrome Forecast)
Issued four times per day valid for 24 hrs
Valid for the reporting airport and up to a five statute mile radius circle around that airport
Provides forecast information in a metar format
Key terms AMD-amended, TEMPO- Temporary, FM-From, BECMG-Becoming
FA (Area Forcast)
Issued three times a day
Valid for a total of 18 hours (12 hours forecast in a six hour categorical outlook)
Covers an area of several states
Six different FA regions in contiguous SFO, SLC, CHI, DFW, BOS, MIA, we use SLC.
Comprised of four sections
1 Communications and product helper: issue time, valid times, affected areas
2 precautionary statement, reminds to see AIRMET’s and Heights are MSL
3 synopsis, gives a brief summary of location and movement of fraud, pressure systems and circulation patterns (valid for 18 hours)
4 VFR clouds and Weather section: 12hr specific forecast
Breaks weather into smaller geographical areas
Describes clouds and weather affecting VFR operations
Categorical outlook - IFR, VFR, MVFR (valid for 6 hrs)
FD (winds and temperatures Aloft forecast)
Winds reported from different altitudes in true north
Issued two times a day
No temperatures for 3000 feet level or within 2500 feet of station elevation
No wind within 1500 feet of station elevation
9900 denotes when that are light and variable less than 5 knots
0000 denotes calm winds
Wind greater than 99 that are encoded by subtracting 50 from the direction and adding for 100 to the speed
Temperatures are always negative above 24,000 feet
WH (Hurricane Advisory)
Issued when a hurricane is at least 300 nautical miles offshore but threaten the coastline Contains Location of storm center Expected movement Maximum wins in and near storm center
Does not contain
Specifics ceilings
Visibility
WX hazards
CA (Convective outlook)
National forecast of thunderstorm activity covering to 24 hour periods
For areas that have chance of a thunderstorm
Shows chance not intensity
Severe thunderstorm criteria include
Surface winds of 50 kn of higher
Hail 3/4 in h or greater
Tornados
WW (severe weather watch bulletin)
Denotes areas of possible sever thunderstorms or tornadoes
Issued on an unscheduled basis and updated as required
AWW (alert severe weather watch)
Preliminary message to alert forecasters in briefers a WW is being issued
Numbered sequentially beginning with 1 January each year
WA (AIRMET)
Warn of weather conditions that are particularly hazardous to small aircraft but applies to all
Issued every six hours valid for six hours
Three types of AIRMET
Tango= turbulence Moderate turbulence Sub stain winds of 30 kt or greater at surface Sierra= mountain obstruction CIG less than 1000 feet visibility less then three statute miles affecting 50% or more of an area and or actual mountain obstruction Zulu= Icing Moderate icing Freezing levels
WS (SIGMET)
Issued for hazardous non-convective whether to all aircraft
Issued as needed valid for four hours unless hurricane related then valid for six hours
Includes following conditions
Severe icing, severe turbulence, clear air turbulence, dust storms in sandstorms lowering visibility to less than 3 miles, volcanic ash
WST( convective SIGMET)
Issued for hazardous convective whether to all aircraft
Includes the following conditions
Tornadoes, line of thunderstorms squall lines, thunderstorms over a wide area, embedded thunderstorms, hail greater than or equal to 3/4 inch at the surface, winds gusts to 50 kn or greater
Potential hazards with thunderstorms
Low level wind shear (caused by temp inversions CB’s fronts)
Turbulence
Low visibility
Weather hazards
Inclement weather can be very dangerous to any aircraft and their occupants
Strong winds, blowing dust, updrafts and downdrafts, heavy precipitation, thunderstorms, windshear
Surface analysis chart
Locates Friends, pressure systems and their movement
Issued every three hours
Weather valid at time of chart
Covers entire US
Weather depiction chart
Issued every three hours
Info derived from METAR
Shows area of IFR, VFR, MVFR
IFR ceilings/visibility <1000 AGL/ 3SM
VFR ceilings/visibility > 3000 AGL/ 3-5 SM
MVFR ceilings/ visibility 1000-3000 AGL / 3-5 SM
Radar summary chart
Issued every hour 35 minutes past the hour
Collected by radar weather reports
Shows precipitation not necessarily clouds
Indicates
Intensity of precipitation with different levels
Direction of movement
Speed
Tops and bottoms
Satellite weather pictures
Two types
Visible
Infrared (IR)
Visible determine the persistence of cloud + shape and texture
Infrared depict heart radiation emitted by cloud tops and the earth surface
Both types transmitted every 30 minutes except for night time
Visible photos not available
US low level significant weather Prognostic
Issue four times per day Valid for 24 hours 12 and 24 hour outlook Forecast Surface to 24,000 feet Low visibility and CIG Turbulence and icing Top boxes= significant weather (areas of IFR/MVFR, freezing levels) Bottom boxes= surface weather ( Precipitation, thunderstorms, fronts, pressure systems)
Convective outlook chart
48 hour forecast for thunderstorm activity Two panels Day one Outlook for general thunderstorms and severe thunderstorms for a 24 hour. 1200 Zulu– 1200 Zulu the following day Day two Forecast for second day Beginning at 1200 Zulu
Both out I’m areas of convective activity, risks for slight medium high and areas of thunderstorms
Forecast wind and temperature aloft charts
12 hour forecast
Valid at 0000Z and 1200 Zulu daily
Predicted winds show with arrow to show directions within 10°
Pennants and or barbs at end of arrow depict wind speed
When calm or light and variable, arrow is illuminated and 99 is entered by station
Temperatures are shown in the whole degrees Celsius near Station Circle
Contain eight panel for different forecast levels
6000 MSL
9000 MSL
12,000 MSL
18,000 MSL
24,000 MSL
30,000 MSL
34,000 MSL
39,000 MSL
VAFTAD (volcanic ash forecast and dispersion chart)
Reports volcanic irruption
Focuses on the hazards to aircraft flight ops and ash cloud location
Forecasted over six and 12 hour time intervals beginning six hours following irruption
Two columns, four panels per column
Top three panels reflect at location and relative concentration
Bottom panel shows total at concentrations from the surface up to 55,000 feet
